


Finest Hour

by KissKinesthesia



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Affection, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Boyfriend Shiro, Shiro calls keith lots of sweet things, Shiros big wonderful hands, Size Difference, The absolutely fluffiest fluff, hugs and kisses, keith venting, like sweetheart and baby, lots and lots of affection, shitty book clubs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-09 18:19:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14721182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KissKinesthesia/pseuds/KissKinesthesia
Summary: "It's awful, is what it is. And they should never have done that." Gently, large hands place him down on the soft comforter, only to rise to his face instead. Taking it and cupping it softly, so Keith couldn't see anywhere else. As if there was anywhere else he'd rather look.He couldn't help the smile that overtook his lips, hearing all the fierce protectiveness in Shiro's voice. All the righteous 'No One Treats Anyone I Love Like That'. All the sweet, 'That was wrong and that's never going to happen again if I can help it.'. All the love love love love.Quickly, the man leaned in to kiss him-- Strong enough to force Keith back a bit, still smiling into it, and only smiling wider when Shiro pulled back."No one."Smooch"Not to you."----Shiro comforts Keith after a terrible experience in his local book club, and Shiro and Keith love each other very much.





	Finest Hour

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from a song of the same name, [Finest Hour, by Cash Cash Ft. Abir. Linked here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxqkpuTYAwQ) to listen to while you read.

 

"They said _what_?!" Shiro asked, an instant anger in his voice. The cut off from his words belying the fury that grew when they left the air. His mind no doubt lingering on the idea and making Shiro more and more righteous with every passing second, each one matching the way his expression soured.

 

Keith tried not to look too happy about it-- He had been holding this in for some time, hurting him all the while in silence. He couldn't help it- It felt good to know that someone-- That _Shiro_ cared. To see him upset on his behalf.

 

He settled for a short nod. A little, "Yeah." Violet eyes lingering down and then stretching upwards again, unsure despite Shiros good behaviorism how understood he would be. Trusting, he let go a little more. "Someone-- They wouldn't even tell me who-" Keith scowled. _Coward_ . "-spoke to one of the heads of the group, saying they were," Keith raised his fingers in airquotes, "A, _"Friend of a Friend"_ , to say I was lying when I told them I was orphaned." _After THEY asked_ , went unsaid, but mutually understood. It wasn't exactly something Shiro knew Keith to bring up on his own.  
Keith crossed his arms, directing his glare at the floor and trying to keep more hurt and anger out of his voice than he knew was attractive to hear.

 

 _As if they had any bearing at all on whether or not that was true. As if they could ever dispute any personal experience from the outside of one--_ But what pissed Keith off, what made it worse-- Was that someone in power actually agreed with that, and had taken it into consideration, as if it held the weight of someone who had been equally involved. They did not, but apparently one completely unverified input from a stranger was enough to dispute his own first hand experiences, which he had photos and documents and the fucking _trauma_ to prove.

 

And now his entire presence was being dismissed for it.

 

Over the past couple of weeks, Keith had been actively trying to work at his social skills. Join new communities. Make new friends. A nearby book club Keith had taken interest upon, after renewing his library card, had been one of them. It was evidently, not all it was cracked up to be.

 

The social ramifications to it were not new, and not unexpected; The spread of information was evident in the behavioral changes, subtle but there: The hesitation to initiate contact. The new disinterest in conversation. The blatant glossing over the few attempts to join, or add to, a given discussion. Too cowardly to confront him and ask him to leave, yet content to let him stay just to ignore and shit talk him behind his back-- All to avoid any discomfort on their parts, even if it comes at the cost of others. Shallow, passive aggressive, judgmental cliques at their best. 

 

Sure, it was a (relatively) small group, so it could be considered tiny--He'd been ostracized and abandoned many times; It's not like it was his first.-- But it still hurt like nothing else. His own nails dug into the muscle of his arms thinking about it, and trying not to verbally relinquish his attempt at all- Shiro would hate that. He couldn't stop himself from thinking it though; _This is why I don't do this. This is why I don't go out. This is why I don't talk._ \--

 

But when Keith looked up to meet Shiro's eyes, they'd softened-- Like he had heard it all anyways.

 

Maybe he had. Maybe it had been on his face?

 

Guilty from something he hadn't even voiced, Keith's expression fell to shame, and like he was reading that too, Shiro reacted instantly.

 

"Oh Keith," Shiro said, in a voice so gentle- Hands equally so as they reached towards him. For a moment, Keith had the wild urge to run from them, until they were on him. Behind him. Bringing him closer and holding him close. Until they were squeezing him soft, then firm. Until Keiths hands felt good to climb behind Shiro as well, and grab harshly with emotion that, reassured, was okay to let out.

 

"I'm sorry."

 

Keith swallowed, sinking deeper into his hold. He was about to speak- "It's--" _Okay. You didn't do it. It's not your fault._

 

"-That shouldn't have happened, firstly." Shiro said, and Keith couldn't help but smile into his shirt at the anger resurfacing in his words. Happiness budding in his heart at the sound--

 

_Shiro understood. Shiro agreed. Shiro supported him._

 

"They have no right to make that claim, let alone any evidence." Shiro squeezed tighter. "And no one from any sort of _Book Club_ should be trusting unaffiliated information like that over first hand ones, but especially not where it concerns something as personal as _this_."

 

Keith couldn't help the wobbly smile that came over his face, hearing Shiro. He could tell, as always, Shiro was trying to be as respectful and impartial as always. But he couldn't help but love when Shiros emotions came out, raw and real and unfiltered, whenever they did.  

 

"Why, on _Earth_ ," Shiro frowned, and Keith could feel the shift in muscles close to his head where Shiros lay. Could imagine the expression as he had seen it time and time before, on pattern and familiarity alone. Affection for the man filling him just on the memory. "-Would someone make a decision like that? Who would-" Shiro stopped short, and Keith could tell it was to refrain from more unprofessional responses making their way out.

 

But Keith wanted to hear them anyway. Wanted them like he wanted the validation from a group that would never accept him, as this one had, as many had before, time and time again. Knowing that Shiro's single understanding of him was better than that of a two hundred terrible shallow book club members any day.

 

"Who would what?" He asked, chasing the words Shiro wanted to lock away.

 

"Who would-" Shiro bit his lip, pausing. Wrestling with himself. "Who would make such an _idiotic_ decision?"

 

_There it was._

 

Keith was smiling fully unrestrained now, and couldn't stop himself from turning in to kiss Shiros cheek. Squeezing him and cuddling closer towards him. It seemed to stop Shiro, shocking him from his borrowed-anger for a moment. He turned to Keith in surprise, then smiled and kissed him back. Calmer now, he continued. Adjusting them both into their hug again in the process.

 

"Who would do that?" His voice was calmer now, but just as okay to go on. Keith kissed his shoulder.

 

"That's such an unbelievably insensitive thing to do-- Making that sort of decision- On such a personal experience-- On the least credible information source. That's-- It's _despicable_."

 

Shiros large arms squeezed Keith once more, and Keith couldn't help but let out a small squeak this time, air pressed out of him. Shiro smiled in endearment, and quickly ducked his head down to kiss Keith's shoulder, returning the kiss from just earlier.

 

Keith could feel his eyes getting warm, suddenly-- Out of nowhere, in fact-- Not realizing it had affected him this greatly, and quickly ducked his head down so it might remain hidden.

 

"It's--" Another pause. Keith could practically hear the omitted words Shiro didn't want to admit were in his vernacular; _Shitty, stupid, bullshit,_

 _"--_ Terrible." Was the word he settled on. Though the way Shiro seemed to sulk and adjust them said he wasn't quite satisfied with it. Keith smiled, having well gotten the message anyway.

 

"I know."

 

"Why would they--WhO-" He huffed, cradling his boyfriend closer. Keith adjusted his hold on instinct so he was hugging Shiro around his neck, and Shiro shifted his hands to Keiths thighs to pick him up. One hand shifted to hold him beneath his bottom, the other supporting his back.

 

"I don't know." Keith supplied, sighing. "It's just-- It's--" Now it was Keiths turn to censor himself. Though unlike Shiro, it came not from a desire to be Proper, but instead, not to express too much, lest he be asking for too much--Lest he be selfish. Shiro began to walk Keith to the edge of their bed, and Keith closed his eyes and let himself concentrate on the sway and movement of his steps

 

"It's awful, is what it is. And they should never have done that." Gently, large hands place him down on the soft comforter, only to rise to his face instead. Taking it and cupping it softly, so Keith couldn't look anywhere else. As if there was anywhere else he'd rather look.

 

"No one should have." Shiro said sternly, like he was talking to a small child about not trusting strangers. To anyone else it might have sounded condescending. To Keith, it just sounded like love.

 

He couldn't help the smile that overtook his lips, hearing all the fierce protectiveness in Shiro's voice. All the righteous 'No One Treats Anyone I Love Like That'. All the sweet, 'That was wrong and that's never going to happen again if I can help it.'. All the _love love love love_.

 

Quickly, the man leaned in to kiss him-- Strong enough to force Keith back a bit, still smiling into it, and only smiling wider when Shiro pulled back.

 

"No one."

 

_Smooch_

 

"Not to you."

 

_Peck_

 

"Not by some _book club_ ,"

 

_Kiss_

 

"And definitely not by some- Some-- Some unreasonable _asshole_ acting on some extraneous strangers biased _opinion_ ." It was more righteous fury and raw emotion than Keith has heard in a long time-- So much that it shocked him. But before he had any chance to react to it, Shiro was pulling him in close and pecking him again and again, all over his face, until Keith couldn't help but burst into giggles from the aggressiveness of the affection. A all-out _squeal_ left him, and soon his eyes were warming all over again.

 

"Ahaha-Sh-Shiro!" Keith laughed over his boyfriends silly 'mwuah' noises. Finally, Shiro pulled back- Big hands still engulfing Keiths face.

 

He looked ready to continue-- To say another Protective, Righteous, Validating comment Keith was sure would've made his heart sing-- But suddenly, he paused. And his entire face fell.

 

"Oh," Shiros brows rose up. His voice becoming so, _so_ soft. "Oh _sweetheart_ ,"

 

Keith blinked, confused. What? Was something wrong?

 

It wasn't until he watched the way his boyfriends face contorted in Empathy-- Until he felt one of Shiros big thumbs brush delicately over his cheek, wiping away wetness collecting there, that Keith realized what was wrong.

 

The realization must've been all over his face, his reaction too predictable, as Shiro pulled him into another hug before Keith could wipe at his face or hide it away, leave the room and spare Shiro any of the bother. Shiro squished him tight against his chest again, and a sob made its way from Keith's throat like vomit makes its way from a healthy man; By surprise, and completely alien. Tears spilled eagerly down his cheeks, his body reacting out of its own volition now, while Keith's mind still stalled on the reality of what he was doing. He really hadn't been aware of just how much it had been affecting him, apparently. And now, it was all rushing out of him under Shiros gentle ministrations.

 

Just how upset had he been? Keith wondered. Even he himself, hadn't known. Until now, at least.

 

"Oh sweetie," Shiro said, voice dripping in empathy. Keiths hands wound their way around Shiros back once more, and clung. Knowing that, during those rare circumstances, it was okay to do. One big warm hand found the back of Keiths head and cradled it lovingly, and Keith the spot sing from the sweet contact.

 

"It's okay. It's alright, it's okay. I'm here, I've got you. I've got you baby, c'mere." Shiro shifted them further into the bed, before laying Keith down onto it, then positioning himself close so he could hold him close- One hand rubbing soothingly up and down his boyfriend's back, encouraging him to cry.

 

It felt good, in a weird way. A phenomenon that Keith had learned was largely uncommon, but Shiro understood as good, even healing for his babe. Whenever any emotional expression came about, he tried his best to encourage it, knowing that for Keith, feelings were hard to focus on. Bottling was an unstoppable constant, and emotions were either not there at all or terrifyingly overwhelming, and out of control.

 

Shiro liked knowing that, as his boyfriend, he could anchor him through it all. Be there when it was over, kiss away tears and make what might otherwise be a painful experience, a sweet and intimate one instead.

 

Little by little Keith was losing his conscious stream of thought to the steadily flowing emotions, and Shiro could tell his control on them was slipping by the increasing vulnerability shown. The shaking of Keiths shoulders, the fierce grip on the front of his shirt. The allowing to cry, the beginnings of noises and little sobs when years of experience taught him how quiet Keith was when he cried-- That even during tears he would try so hard to hold it all back.

 

"Shh, shh shh.. it's okay baby, it's okay. Just let it all out. I'm here. I've got you."

 

By now Keith was beginning to drown in his own head-- Like anyone, he had self control. If he wanted to, early on, he could stop himself. But with Shiro here, encouraging him, it was okay to not want to. It was okay. It was okay because Shiro was there, helping him, and helping bring it all to the front of his mind where it could let itself out. And it felt good. Good like the hold that engulfed him, the warmth up and down his back, the soft little kisses laid atop his hair from Shiro, in between shushes and reassurances and the petnames Keith hated to love so so much.

 

"You don't have to go back there," _Smooch smooch_ , sweetly against his forehead. Keith hiccuped, letting out another short sob. "I don't want you to go back there. Not if they're going to treat you like that." Smooch.

 

Another small sob. "Are you sure?"

 

Shiro almost regretted asking the question, just from the heartache felt hearing Keith's voice crack on his words. So soft, choked and broken. Distorted on his hurt. He let his lips linger on a kiss to each of his eyelids, before bringing up his hand to the back of Keiths head and carding his fingers through the soft long hair there.

 

"I'm sure." _Smooch_. "I would never want you anywhere you don't feel welcomed, baby."

 

"But-" _Sniff_. Shiro pressed his lips to Keiths forehead, long and firm. "Aren't you disappointed? You were so happy. And so proud- Of me getting out."

 

Oh. _Ow_. A deep pang of guilt opened in Shiro's chest like a well, in realization. He wound his arms around Keith even tighter, squeezing him until he got out another soft, broken, adorably small noise.

 

"Keith-- _Baby Boy_ ," He said, and felt his heart melt when he felt Keith curl into his chest. "I am proud of you. I'm _still_ proud of you." Shiro affirmed with another long, firm kiss to Keith's head. Inside Keith felt his heart on a tightrope, on a tray outside his body. And Shiro wanted to do everything in his power to assure there was no safer place it could ever be.

 

"That isn't going to change just because of something wrong someone else did." _Peck_ . "Even if you left everything you worked for-- As long as you try," _Smooch_ , "As long as you don't give up," _Smoooooch_ , "As long as you keep being the best Keith you can be," _Smooch smooch smooch_ , "I'll always be proud of you. No matter what, sweetheart. I promise."

 

It was a sweet, rare moment that came about on the wings of serendipity and pure love alone, and happiness that flooded him from it all consumed him whole. Overwhelming and because of it, wonderful. The last thread snapped on his self control, and within moments Keith found himself crying childishly into his boyfriend's chest, and Shiro welcomed it and each and every tear and sob and sniff that came with it. Brushed away his hair, pet and stroked his head, his back, his tear stained cheeks and kissed everywhere he could.

 

They lie like that for half an hour, 'till Keith's sobs turned to sniffles and comfort turned to cuddling, and fell asleep like that 'til the next morning.

 

Keith would be embarrassed, but keep close the memories as some of the best he's ever had.

 

Shiro would be worried and tentative, on eggshells and mothering until Keith would come to him the next night and tell him _Thank you, Thank you Thank You Thank You._

 

_I love you so much, Shiro. I love you so so much,_

 

And Shiro would smile, relieving and overjoyed that he'd done good-- Beyond good on Keiths words-- know that it was all worth it in the end.

 

Later, Keith would bring home a second copy of his favorite book, and on high hope and a trembling affection-- Like he was asking Shiro out for the first time all over again-- Present it to him, and ask him to read it with him. A gift, a question, a promise, and a moment of vulnerability all at once.

 

One day later, late into the evening, finds the two lovers together on the couch. A book in Keith's lap while he sits in Shiros. The two taking turns reading passages aloud to one another, pausing to gush, react, joke and theorize between chapters. Shiro is hooked by the end of chapter five, and the two fall asleep in each others arms, in the dim light of their living room, right there on the couch, late into a work night.

 

And not one regret was had.  

  


**Author's Note:**

> im on the clicky hellsite now! @ [kisskinesthesia.tungle.com](https://kisskinesthesia.tumblr.com/)
> 
> please come annoy me if you too, are sick and tired of shitty book clubs.
> 
> if you liked this and you want more, leave a comment so I know!  
>  ~~i saw the comments on Weakness Just Right. more will come, i just gotta kick my ass haha.~~


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